Just as bad, if not worse than Hatch's ignorance is the cover up and excuses for it.

Abdul-Samad at first declined to comment on the incident and insisted the conversation did not need to be publicized.

Phyllis Thede, one of six blacks in the Legislature, acknowledged that if a Republican had made the same comments, the reaction likely would have been different.

"Simply because of the nature of who said it," she said. "Senator Hatch is trying to do his best to get a piece of legislation through that's really going to help children. I'm really sorry that things were said out of the heat of the moment, but they were able to get past this."